


an anchor without a violent sea is simply just a burden

by fallingforboys



Series: and the blood of the past turns the white roses red [5]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Brett Talbot & Lori Talbot Live, Brett Talbot & Theo Raeken Friendship, M/M, McCall Pack, Puppy Pack (Teen Wolf), Theo Raeken is Liam Dunbar's Anchor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:55:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28718427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallingforboys/pseuds/fallingforboys
Summary: Liam's losing it.He can't find control, but unbeknownst to him, he already had an anchor.
Relationships: Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt, Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken
Series: and the blood of the past turns the white roses red [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2097741
Comments: 11
Kudos: 127





	an anchor without a violent sea is simply just a burden

_Be your own anchor_ , Scott had told Liam the day he left for college. Liam’s anchor had been Hayden, but after she left, he was left anchor-less, his control getting worse. And worse, and worse. He couldn’t focus on that one thing that grounded him to reality, and could bring him back to humanity. 

And Liam tried to follow Scott’s advice, he really did. He tried everything from meditation to _yoga_ , trying to find that inner control that would help him with the shift. 

Nothing worked. 

The Puppy Pack had tried helping, but honestly, they just made it worse. Brett’s way of “helping” was more like taunting, and after one day where Liam had ripped apart the couch in Brett and Lori’s apartment, the pack decided that they should try something else. 

But, unbeknownst to Liam, he had already found an anchor. 

Theo.

The chimera had stayed in Beacon Hills after the war with the hunters, but he was still on the outskirts of the pack. But he was consumed with guilt and his newfound conscience, and Liam and the rest of the pack could see that he was different. 

The first time the pack realized that Theo was Liam’s anchor, it was during a pack meeting. Brett had been provoking Liam like usual, but something about what he said this time struck a chord with Liam, and he _raged_. 

His eyes flickered between gold and blue, his fangs elongating in short bursts. _Liam, calm down_ , Mason said, worried his best friend would repeat his performance from the Talbot apartment.

But something changed this time. Because Theo was there. 

“Wow, Dunbar, I always knew you were angry, but I didn’t know you were _this_ angry,” he jeered, his green eyes cold and calculating. “How does Scott even put up with you?”

“Shut up!” Liam growled, focusing his fury at the chimera.

“What are you gonna do this time, huh? Destroy another couch? Or maybe it’ll be bigger this time, maybe the dining table?” 

The other teenagers watched in shock as Theo pushed Liam further into his anger.

“C’mon Liam, break something. I’d love to see that- the true alpha’s beta losing _control_ ,” Theo’s voice was filled with glee; it was an act of course, but Liam didn’t know that.

The werewolf had had enough, he rushed forward and pinned Theo against a wall, a low growl cutting through the air. 

“C’mon Liam, _do it_ ,” Theo challenged, but his voice had dropped, and his tone was almost _gentle._

Liam looked at the chimera. His cheeks were tinted red from exertion, his eyes searching as they roamed Liam’s face. His hair, which was usually perfectly styled, had been disheveled (and Liam felt his heart twinge a little at that one strand of hair that had dropped over Theo’s eyes, but he pushed it aside- denial was a truly great concept). 

The younger wolf took a few deep breaths. _In and out. In and out._

Finally, his gold eyes faded back to blue, and his claws retracted, leaving ten little holes in Theo’s shirt. 

Liam flushed. “Uh, sorry about that,” he said, pointing at the chimera’s ruined shirt. 

“Whatever. At least you’re in control now,” Theo replied, rolling his eyes. 

The two boys turned around to find their friends staring with wide eyes and open jaws. 

Mason was the first to recover. “How- You just- _What_?”

Theo smirked and patted the human’s shoulder. “When you learn English again, let me know,” he teased, and walked out.

The attention now all fell onto Liam, who was _not_ keen on having this conversation. Luckily, everyone seemed too astonished to talk.

Mason and Corey were looking at Liam like they had suddenly figured something out, and Mason’s eyes were wide- Liam knew that if his best friend said something right now, it would be _Intense_.

Brett always pushed Liam’s buttons a little too far so he had expected _something_ from him, but he was unusually quiet. He had a look on his face that Liam couldn’t place as he stared at him. 

But Liam was not in the mood to deal with the tall werewolf (as if he _ever_ was), so he turned around and ignored him.

__________________________________

“You’re Liam’s anchor.” 

Theo looked up startled at the sudden interruption to an otherwise quiet day alone on the preserve. 

Brett was staring at the chimera intently, an eyebrow raised as if he was saying _Are you gonna deny it?_

Theo sighed. “I know.”

“Does _Liam_ know?” Brett asked, his usual smirk nowhere to be seen.

“No. Yes? I don’t know,” the chimera responded. “Even if he does, he doesn’t want to believe it, and I don’t blame him. Who’d want someone like _me_ to be their anchor?”

The werewolf nudged Theo’s shoulder playfully. “You’re not that bad. You know how to cook, and Liam likes to eat. You’re a match made in heaven.”

Theo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure,” he turned to look at Brett. “Why are you telling me this anyway?”

“We all saw what happened yesterday. Liam can deny it all he wants, but you’re his anchor. And he needs you, whether he likes it or not.”

Theo’s heart sank a little at the thought of Liam not wanting him as an anchor. It made sense and Theo couldn’t hold it against him, but a little part of him had hoped it wasn’t true. _That’s what you get for killing his alpha, dumbass_.

“You know I can smell your emotions, right?” Theo was pulled out of his thoughts by Brett’s teasing tone, and a blush began creeping up his neck. 

“Shut up,” the chimera grumbled, embarrassed, as Brett laughed at him.

__________________________________

  
  


“You’re Liam’s anchor.”

Theo raised an eyebrow at the words he had heard just yesterday, but this time, it was Corey saying them.

“Thank you for the information,” he drawled sarcastically. “You can leave now.”

Corey ignored him. 

“You piss him off, you make him _angry_ , but somehow, that _helps_ ,” the younger chimera said, sitting down next to Theo on the ground. Theo had come to the preserve to be left alone, but _clearly_ , the supernaturals of Beacon Hills did not understand _boundaries_. 

“Corey, why are we talking about this?” Theo sighed, resigned that his lonely afternoon had reached its end (And if some part of Theo was glad, he pushed that thought _deep_ down). 

“You’re not my favorite person,” Corey stated bluntly, “In fact, I don’t even know why Liam keeps you around.”

Well, _that_ hit Theo hard. Corey had felt the brunt of Theo’s short stint as a power-hungry, despicable alpha, and that obviously couldn’t be forgiven as easily. But hearing that the others didn’t want him around _hurt_ , and it took all of Theo’s training to not let it show.

“Thanks, Corey. I’m glad you feel that way. Now, if you could leav-”

“ _But_ ,” the chimera continued. “For some reason, Liam’s latched onto you. You’re the only one that can bring him back. _So_ ,” Corey looked into Theo’s eyes, “ _Help him_. He needs control, he’s going off the rails for the smallest things, and it’s starting to affect all of us.”

Theo’s heart had started racing when he heard _Liam’s latched onto you_ , but he stared at Corey, who was looking at the ground, running his fingers through the grass.

“You mean Mason,” Theo concluded, taking in the way Corey slightly winced.

“Liam’s his best friend, and he’s tried _everything_ , but nothing’s worked,” the other chimera eventually said. “And I know Liam’s trying not to take his anger out on Mason, but it _happens_ sometimes. And I-” Corey faltered, and Theo could smell the grief rolling off the chimera, “I can’t _take_ it anymore. I can’t watch his face drop every time Liam says something he didn’t mean.”

Theo took a deep breath. Without a doubt, Corey didn’t like him, probably doesn’t even trust him at this point. But Mason was important to him, and Liam was important to Mason (And though Theo didn’t want to admit it, a corner of his brain screamed that Liam was important to _him_ too).

“Okay,” the older boy finally announced, “I’ll help.”

Corey looked relieved, and although Theo wasn’t one to show his emotions, he smiled a little at the other chimera. Because even though he doesn’t deserve it, Theo was starting to warm up to the Puppy Pack. Liam always includes him in pack meetings and everything, but the chimera felt a part of him crave the feeling of _family_ that resonated from the pack. He had started to drive the teenagers to school every morning, and Theo _enjoyed_ it. Sure, waking up that early was a hassle, but the combination of sleeping in his truck and his nightmares made sure that the chimera barely got sleep anyway. But being a _part_ of something felt nice, and Theo wanted that more than anything. 

__________________________________

“You need to control it- let the anger consume you, and then let it _fade away_.”

Theo had started his “lessons” with Liam, working with him to control his shift, but the werewolf was still having trouble.

“I’m fucking _trying_. You saying something every two seconds isn’t _helping_ ,” Liam growled, his eyes gold. 

“Well, it won’t be quiet when you’re fighting for your life. You have to _ignore_ it, Liam. C’mon, I know you can do it,” the chimera said, his voice soft enough to force the werewolf to calm down a little to hear it. 

“I- I _can’t_ do it.” Liam’s claws were out, and the werewolf gritted his teeth in anguish.

“ _Yes_ , you _can_. Just _focus._ Focus on my voice, or a scent, or _anything_. Bring yourself back.”

Liam took a deep breath, inhaling Theo’s scent. The chimera was clearly frustrated, but then the werewolf picked up a sweeter, earthy scent, hidden under the bitter taste of annoyance. It was just… _Theo_. 

The younger boy hooked onto Theo’s unique scent, letting it wash over him in waves, filling him with a sense of peace. He felt his claws and fangs retract, his eyes slowly shifting back to baby blue. 

Theo looked at Liam with a small smile on his face, and _god_ , if only Liam could see that look on the chimera’s face every day. 

“You did it,” the chimera grinned, and Liam felt a sudden urge to run over and hug the chimera. _He’d probably break his no-murder streak and kill you, you idiot._

“Yeah, I guess I did.” And Liam smiled back.

__________________________________

Two weeks later, Liam was _pissed_. No, he was past pissed. He was _furious_.

“You’ve been living in your truck for _months_ , and you said absolutely _nothing_ about it?” the werewolf screamed at Theo.

“I got used to it-”

“Shut up!” Liam growled. “You don’t get _used_ to living in your truck, okay? You should’ve told us, _any_ of us!” The werewolf gestured to the rest of the Puppy Pack, who all had varying looks of remorse on their faces. “You should’ve told _me_.”

“And what would’ve that done, Liam, huh?” Theo was yelling too now. “It would’ve done _nothing_. I told you I was fine, so can you just drop it?”

“ _Drop it?_ You want me to fucking _drop it?_ ” The younger boy had shifted, and he was glowering at the chimera. “We’re your _pack_ , Theo. Your _fucking_ pack, and we would’ve done something, _anything_!”

Theo looked taken back, as if what Liam said had surprised him. The werewolf mentally thought back to what he had yelled, and it suddenly hit him.

“Theo, you’re _pack_. You’re a part of this whether you like it or not, and we take _care_ of each other. That means telling us if you need help, _telling_ us that you’re _homeless_.”

A flash of hope crossed the chimera’s face, but it left just as quickly. Liam huffed, hoping he had finally got through to the older boy.

__________________________________

Theo was dumbfounded. 

Liam had told him he was pack, and the chimera’s brain had pretty much short-circuited. After staring at the werewolf for a minute, he finally turned to the rest of the pack.

Brett, who Theo was probably the closest to, looked angry that he hadn’t known. Nolan, Lori and Alec all looked guilty, their heads hanging low. Mason was looking at Theo sympathetically, but when he saw Theo looking, he nodded furiously, agreeing with Liam’s words. 

And then there was Corey. He had told Theo he didn’t want him around. That he wasn’t sure why Liam _did_ keep him around. But all the chimera could pick up on Corey’s face right now was _shame_. 

Sometime over the past two weeks, apparently Theo had gotten to the other chimera, because there was no trace of hostility visible on his face. No _you deserve being homeless for what you did_ that Theo had expected from him.

Theo twisted back to Liam. The werewolf’s hair was all messy, a consequence of continuously running his hands through it. He was still breathing heavily, trying to stay in control.

“Okay. I’m pack,” the chimera said cautiously, “But like I told you, I’m _fine_ living in my truck.”

And Liam was mad again. _Great job, Theo. You’re really sticking to the whole help Liam stay in control thing_.

“Nothing about this is _fine_!” And they were back to screaming. Great. “Even _if_ we were okay with this whole situation, which we’re _not_ , it’s not _safe_. You could be attacked, and you wouldn’t even _know_ until it was too late,” the werewolf had been stepping closer to Theo with every word, and was currently a breath away from the chimera.

“I would’ve been okay. I’m used to it, remember? And even if I died, it’s not like it matters that much. Good riddance, right?” Theo was only half-joking. His conscience, a consequence of his time in hell, repeated those lovely words to the chimera every day. 

“What the _fuck_ , Theo?” Liam shoved the chimera’s shoulders harshly. “ _Good riddance?_ Have you even _thought_ about how _we_ would feel if you died?”

“You should be _happy_ cause you finally got rid of m-”

“You’re my _fucking anchor!_ ” 

Everything stopped. Mason, who had been edging closer to his best friend to try and calm him down, froze mid-step. 

“You’re my fucking anchor, and if you died, I probably would too,” Liam breathed out, his eyes flicking up to Theo.

The chimera was shocked. The anchor thing had been something that the whole pack knew, but Liam had never admitted it. He had gotten close a few days ago, in the hospital with Melissa, but he never outright _said_ it. 

“Liam, I-”

“Theo.” The younger boy’s tone left no space for argument. “You deserve us. Everything you did before, it was horrible and messed up, but you _paid for it_. Just _let us in_ , Theo. _Please_.”

The chimera felt a lump in his throat. _Don’t fucking cry, Theo._ Well, too late, he thought as his eyes welled up.

Corey slowly walked over to the chimera. “What I said to you two weeks ago isn’t true. I like having you around, I like _you_. You’re not that person anymore Theo. _I forgive you._ ”

And then he _hugged_ Theo. The chimera let out a quiet squawk at the unexpected contact, but the younger boy didn’t budge, and Theo eventually sank into his embrace a little. His eyes locked with Liam’s over Corey’s shoulder, and the werewolf looked _relieved_. He made his way to the two boys and wrapped his arms around them. Soon, the rest of the Puppy Pack joined in, and Theo thought how absurd the sight must look to anyone passing by. 

But he didn’t care at the moment. He was too caught up in his _pack_. His _family_.

__________________________________

“Hey, Liam, how’s Beacon Hills?” 

Scott was on Facetime with his beta, the monthly pack check-in call that he forced everyone to participate in.

“Pretty good, actually. We haven’t had anything _super_ bad happen yet. Crossing my fingers though,” Liam responded, absentmindedly munching on a protein bar. 

“How’s the pack?”

Liam lit up. “Great. Now that Theo finally accepted that he’s in it, it’s kind of fun. Like yesterday, he was telling me this story how-”

The older pack members were shocked, their jaws dropped at hearing that the chimera was part of the Puppy Pack. Scott interrupted Liam’s rambling.

“Wait, did you say that Theo’s _part_ of the pack?”

Liam looked at him confused. “Uh, yeah? He’s my anchor, why wouldn’t he be part of the pack?”

A crashing noise echoed over the call as Stiles fell out of his chair. Scott was just as surprised, but he had better control of his limbs than his best friend. 

“Theo’s your _anchor?_ When did this happe-”

Liam cut the alpha off. “Wait, hold on a sec. Mason’s calling me.” The beta picked up and put the phone to his ear. Suddenly, the blood drained from his face. 

“They did _what?_ Why were they even ther- They _cornered_ him? He did _what?_ ”

The older pack was having trouble following Liam’s conversation, but they got the hint that it was bad. 

“Liam, is everything oka-”

And Scott was cut off. Again. “Scott, I gotta go. Something happened to Nolan, and Theo pun- I just, I need to go. I’ll call you later. Bye!” 

“Wait, Lia-”

And he was gone. Scott sighed and looked at the older pack members that were still on the call.

“Did any of you know that Theo was Liam’s anchor?”

A chorus of no’s erupted from Scott’s laptop, but then he noticed Lydia hadn’t said anything.

“Lydia?” The banshee broke out of her daze, and blinked.

“I had my doubts. Just, think about it. During the war, who was somehow _always_ with Liam, stopping him from being hurt, from losing control?”

Stiles narrowed his eyes in disbelief. “Theo did all that?”

“Yeah, he _did_. Whether we like it or not, Liam found an anchor in Theo.”

Scott sighed again, something that he’s been doing more and more ever since he bit Liam. “Well, Lydia’s right. There’s nothing we can do about it, we just have to accept it. Accept _Theo_.”

Malia snorted. “Like that’s gonna happen.”

“You better _make_ it happen,” Derek cut in. “Theo’s a part of Liam’s pack now. And from what I’ve seen, _everyone_ in the Puppy Pack’s accepted him. Unless you want to deal with _all_ of them, you need to learn to accept Theo.”

Malia and Stiles looked annoyed, but they knew the former alpha was right. Scott could tell that Theo had somehow wormed his way into the Puppy Pack, and he had a feeling that they’d all defend him if given the chance. 

Well, at least Liam finally found an anchor.


End file.
